Accompaniments

Jan’s Caramel Corn

6 quarts (24 cups) unsalted, light popcorn

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup white corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Bring brown sugar, butter and corn syrup to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil gently for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat, stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Gradually pour over the corn, mixing well. Place the corn in a roasting pan. Bake in a 250 oven for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Toss on newspaper to cool. Store in a cool, airtight container.

Elsie’s Cracker Snack

1 package Hidden Valley dressing (the one made with buttermilk, not milk)

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon dill weed (optional)

1 cup salad oil

2 packages oyster crackers

Bleu Cheese Cracker Snack

1 Package Hidden Valley Bleu Cheese Dressing Mix

1/2 cup oil (Crisco or Wesson)

1 package Oyster Crackers

Combine first 5 ingredients. Pour over crackers, which have been placed in a large plastic bag. Store in a cool place, regularly turn bag for the next couple of days until all of the oil is taken up.

Sage Stuffing for A 19# Turkey

2 cups chopped celery

1 cup of chopped onion

1 cup margarine

16 cups bread cubes (1-1/2 loaves of buttercrust bread)

4 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1 tablespoon salt (scant)

1 cup chicken broth -- may blend in an egg

Combine onion, celery and margarine. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add seasonings to bread cubes, stir until well mixed. Pour cooked vegetables over bread, mix well. Slowly add chicken broth/egg mixture until bread is moistened, not wet. Bake in a cookin’ bag in a 325 oven for 1 hour. (If you put the bag in a pan and put that pan in water, the dressing will not get crusty as it bakes.)

Grandma Barbara Witt’s and Grandma Salisbury's Pickled Beets

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon pickling spices (may substitute whole cloves)

beets, which have been cooked, peeled and cut into small cubes

Bring first four ingredients to a boil, add beets and bring to a boil again. Put in clean jars and seal.

Grandma Witt’s and Grandma Salisbury's Cucumbers and Onions

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

Place in alternate layers in a dish, salting each layer as it is put down. Let stand at room temperature for 1/2 day.

Drain and add:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

Refrigerate.

Tad’s Tomato Relish

4 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced

Dressing:

2/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley

1/4 cup minced green onions, tops included

1 medium clove of garlic, crushed or finely minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed (use fresh, if you have it)

1/4 teaspoon each: oregano, crushed and black pepper

Combine tomatoes and garlic in a container than can be covered. Set aside. For dressing, combine all ingredients in a screw-top jar. Cover and shake until thoroughly blended. Pour enough dressing over the tomato mixture to thoroughly moisten it; stir to blend. Cover tomato mixture and refrigerate several hours to let the flavors blend before serving. Refrigerate unused dressing. Dressing recipe makes enough for several batches of tomato relish or can be used to top pasta, rice or mixed green salads.

Dorothy’s Party Mix

1 box Cheerios

1 box Rice Chex

1 box Wheat Chex

1 box Pretzels

1 pound salted nuts

1 pound butter

1 tablespoon each: garlic salt, celery salt, onion salt

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Combine in a large pan. Pour into 2 large roasting pans. Bake in a 250 oven for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes.

Darlene's Peanut Brittle

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup white Karo syrup

1/2 cup hot water

1 cup raw peanuts

butter the size of a walnut

1 teaspoon baking soda

(Use 1/2 teaspoon salt if the peanuts are unsalted)

Generously grease a cookie sheet. Blend and cook sugar, Karo and water to hard crack stage. Add peanuts and butter and stir continuously until mixture browns. Remove from heat, add teaspoon of soda and stir quickly. Pour out onto greased cookie sheet spreading thin. Let cool and break into pieces.

Caramels

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup butter

2 cups half 'n half

Generously butter and 8 inch square glass baking pan. Mix sugar, corn syrup, butter and 1/2 the cream in the saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in rest of cream. Continue stirring until mixture reaches 238 - 240 on a candy thermometer. Pour into pan, cut into squares and wrap when cool.

Apple Dressing

Combine and cook until apples are tender, then cool:

1 cup apple juice

4 apples, diced

Combine:

1 cup raisins

1-1/2 loaves buttercrust bread, cut into small cubes

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons cinnamon

Combine:

2 eggs (optional)

1 cup apple juice (may also use chicken broth)

Add the cooked, cooled apples to the bread/raisin mixture and stir thoroughly. Add eggs and apple juice and stir until mixture is moist, not wet. Bake in a cookin’ bag for 1 hour in 325 oven.

Tad's Bloody Mary Mix

1 cup tomato juice

10 drops Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 tablespoon lime juice

Combine with 1 shot of vodka. Serve over ice with a celery stick.

Susie's Hot Buttered Rum

1 pound brown sugar

1 pound butter

1 pound confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 quart vanilla ice cream

light rum

boiling water

Cream butter and sugars; add spices and softened ice cream. Store in freezer. To serve, put a dollop of the mix in a cup, add rum and boiling water to taste.